Joel turns 30!!

Well, today my hubby hit the 30 year mark! Last night we had a party to celebrate his life thus far, and it was good fun! And let me just take this opportunity to say: I love my husband more today than I ever have. And every day I love him more than the day before. I dont care if this sounds cheesy because it’s true!! All of the cheesy things you can thikn of to tell someone how much you love them, I would type them all right here if I could because they’re all true. I married my best friend and I wouldn’t change the lst 5 1/2 years for anything.  He is the most amazing man I know. His wisdom is immense and his love for the Lord is something I strive to imitate every day.  He has a unique understanding of the love of Christ and what He did on the cross. Joel is one of the most humble men I know, and of course he would never agree with that.  Other than my own dad, Joel is the example of humility and turning the other cheek.  I love this man so much. Watching him be a daddy to his kids is one of the greatest privelages on this earth.  His patience is overwhelming sometimes and spurs me on to be a better mom and wife.  And he loves me so much. I can’t understand why he loves me so much, but he does and always has. I thank God every single day for my best friend, Joel.

Here are some photos from our shin-dig yesturday! It was a hat party, so our friends were all required to wear hats. Fun times! Thank you to all of you who blesesd Joel last night, he went to bed with a smile on his face.

Bless you all today! And if you see Joel, give him a high five for being 30!

Jenn

5 things I love today!

1.  rain, in moderation. it has been brought to my attention by my sister Laurel from Texas that i take advantage of the rain!

2. having a tidy house at the end of the day

3. waking up rested after a nap

4.  my friend, Lora’s blog! www.eagerhands.blogspot.com  Always makes me smile.

5.  eating out with friends. Last night we had PF Changs with our close friends the Carey’s and it was wonderful.  Always good heart talks around the table.

oops…5 things I love Sunday?

Ok so I’m really not very good at remembering 5 things Friday.

1.  talking to my family on Skype. I love seeing their faces from hundreds of miles away.

2. learning to bake new yummy things! Tonite: gluten and dairy free pumpkin bread!

3. when my boys do something new. Today, Asher said “hallelujah!” in the car on the way home from church.

4.  watching chick flicks with my girl friends! “Two Weeks Notice”, though there were some innappropriate jokes, was really quite cute and i’d watch it again!

5.   my friend, Susanna. She’s solid in my life and I’m so thankful for her!

you were wondering, weren’t you?

Yes! There ARE some new things up in my shop! You should go take a peek.  I’m in a sewing groove and there will be more things up there soon. I am redecorating my downstairs of my house, so I am trying to sell things to feed that addiction .  The only money I can use is my profits from my little shop, so friends, if you care at all that my downstairs deseperately needs a new coat of paint, you’ll support me in this endeavor!

On a more serious (and important) note, I’ll update you on the family real quick.   My kids are doing amazing.  We have recently started the boys on a healthier diet, and that is going really well. They eat gluten-free and dairy-free, and mostly organic. Big change, i know! But they haven’t even really blinked at it.  So thankful for that.  Ro wont eat his gummy vitamin, that’s my only complaint. But we make it work in other ways.  Asher on the other hand would eat them like candy. Bella has found her thumb, and so she falls alseep much easier and actually stays sleeping longer now. She’s so pleasant anyway, it didnt bother me a whole lot when she was awake more, but it’s a bonus now that she’s sleeping better. And by the way, she IS the cutest baby in existence.

Joel is working alot and still loving it. He’s had lots of opportunities lately to work, and they seem to keep coming, so keep him in your prayers as he makes important decisions about that!

by the way, here’s a picture of my new silverware drawer. Half of those dangerous sharp knives used to be just floating around in the drawer, and recently I had HAD IT with that! so i bought this wonderful thing at walmart for like 6 bucks.

And last but not least, check out this blanket i just made for my friend Jackie. It’s not in my shop, but if you want one like it, just ask!

Have a great Thursday!

oh how I love the sunshine!

Spring has officially hit Fort Mill and I am LOVING IT.  Somehow the post-pardum moods all swing towards ‘happy’ and ‘content’ when the weather is nice and sunny.  My kids are happier and believe it or not, since the Daylight Savings Time thing, my kids are sleeping better too! I think I remember last year being the opposite, so I am quite pleasantly suprised.

Here’s my boys playing in the toybox together.  Aren’t they so stinking cute! I can’t believe that there will a day when they can’t fit in their toybox together anymore. And then another day comes when they no longer care about their toybox at all. Wow. At least I will keep having kids, Lord willing.   Someone will always like that toybox!

My little baby girl is doing great too. Learning how to sleep better at night, which gives me a whole new lease on life. All you moms know what i mean! It’s amazing how sleep affects you, but thank the Lord that His grace really is greater than my need for sleep.  Bella is happy as a clam all the time, and is laughing all the time. All you have to do is smile at her, and she’ll return an open-mouth grin so big youc an’t resist but pinch her chunky cheeks. I love my life!!

Something I’m thankful for today: Vinegar. Cleaned my kitchen with it last night and it only smelled like vinegar for about 15 minutes! Wow! Way cheaper and more ‘not-killing-you’ friendly than store-bought cleaners! (If you didnt know that chemical cleaners are bad for you, well, now you do.)

have a blessed Tuesday!

5 things I love Friday

1.  Monk i have watched almost every single episode of this show and still would watch them all over again! Very clean, hilarious. love it!

2.  open windows i love the fresh air coming in my house on a breeze from outside.

3.  dreaming of redecorating i always want to change my paint colors, throw pillows and furniture. I love dreaming of different color combo’s and textures!

4. vinegar i have now discovered the many uses of vinegar, mostly for cleaning. loving it! Threw away all my old cleaners. they’re bad for you, you should do the same!

5.  stretch jeans with the right fit and the right cut, stretch jeans can work. not always though.  so ya gotta find the right fit.  and they can be pretty comfy when you’re feeling a little fluffy in the tummy.

have a good friday!

my beautiful friend, Lora

This is me and my beautiful friend Lora. I hung out with her last night and had a good, heart talk. I love those.  And I love Lora.  Here’s some photos of some good times. She may kill me for this, but it’s worth it!!!

Good times, Lora. Good times.

5 Things Friday

5 Things I love:

1. chinese food. We went to RedBowl last night and it was oh so yummy. Leftovers arent bad either!

2. praying for things and seeing fruit of my labors! We got to go to Sams yesturday for some much needed bulk items!

3. seeing Lauren’s pregnant belly

4. my husbands commitment to providing for his house

5.  the girls that live here. I love them all so much! You should all be jealous

Trader Joe’s

I have discovered Trader Joe’s. Yes, finally! I may have been the only one on the planet who had never been there. And I loved it! I love the feel of the place, the people who work there are so cheery, and the store is just a really good atmosphere.  Liz, my amazingly health-conscious friend went with me, along with Sooz, who had also not been there, and we bought some yummies for healthier living and eating. I wish I would have taken some pictures because it was such a neat place! I have a feeling I will be frequenting there. My sons drink Rice Milk, and for those of you who fancy getting rid of dairy, Rice Milk is a great alternative and is very cheap at Trader Joes!

fun times! Next stop…Earthfare.

5 things I love Friday

1.  Rowans laugh

2.  being able to walk to a friends house when I am down or just to visit

3.  being built up by my husband

4. sewing new projects

5.  Knowing that God is on the throne even when times get tough

This is a cute nursing cover I just put in my shop yesturday!

And here is my happy baby girl